Hi: Bought a Remington 700 with the Hogue Over Mold stock. The forearm seems to be a little weak when using a bipod and the barrel was touching. I removed the stock and added a very thin .028 brass washer to the front pillar which seems to have free floated the barrel with 35 in. lbs. of torque. Haven't shot yet but am curious if anyone has attempted to do this rather than using a soda can shim in front of the barrel lug and your results? Thanks, Phil

I guess I don't see the difference. A brass shim vs an aluminum shim.

Mike 3-4
Not only did you free floated the barrel, but you also free floated at least half of the action. The purpose of bedding the action, and using pillars is to make sure the action is rigid, flat, and 100 % contact on all surfaces, this is one of the more important things that you can do to improve the accuracy of the rifle. By adding that shim over the pillar, you raised the front of the action making it impossible to be fully in contact with the stock, but you also put it on a bind, I think it will be very deprimental to the accuracy of the gun.
Evelio.

Evelio: Thanks so much for your input. It seems from your explanation I raised the action and barrel lug from being properly seated and only floated the barrel but compromised the action from doing it's job. I will shoot a group as it is for the fun of it and go back to the original pillar bedding but can you tell me what the torque might be for that Hogue Stock? Thanks, Phil

This is why I dislike Hogue stocks - the forearm is so flimsy that it's practically impossible to free float the barrel.

As long as the front and rear mounting points don't introduce any stresses on the action, it doesn't matter if the entire action is bedded. The stock needs to be very stiff around the action so it doesn't twist and introduce stress in the action. Anything in front of the front mounting screw is just there for support when you bench your rifle.

I am guessing that a hunting type rifle was being discussed? I agree with Evelio on bedding. But in many hunting rifles the thin barrel does odd things when 'free floated'. On more than one occasion with wood stocked hunting rifles (Mod &0, Rem 700) fore end pressure (soft wood shim for example) tightened the group size. And I never could get any successful accuracy with a bipod

Hi: My rifle is the police model with a 20" heavy barrel. It is shooting 3/4" groups with my initial handloads off a bipod and no shim to free float. Perhaps I've read too much about that Hogue over mold stock being less than wonderful. Guess I need a trip to the range and also look at the COL. I seem to think the torque specs I don't know and damaging a new action is my concern.

the front action screw should never be torqued beyond 35 in/lbs. The rear about half that. all assuming good even bedding on correct pillars. Factory bedding is problematic...One should not stress the action in a crooked position...that's why good even bedding is the key paying attention to the recoil lug and its 'bedding' in the area at the rear portion of the lug and receiver ring Evelio knows

With unknown bedding try setting the front rest at or as close a possible underneath the recoil lug/receiver ring,,,then check your groups

Hi: Went to the range yesterday and shot 3 different loads from my free float project.1 load was store bought XM-80, the other 2 loads were 44 gr.Varget, CCI br2 primers and 168gr.and 155gr. SMKs. All three loads were very consistent on elevation and windage however the 155 gr. Palma bullet produced a 1/2" group shooting with the bipod. BTW I torqued both screws at 50 in lbs. and the OAL was 2.945" Phil

If your bedding is not true, tightening the bolts too much could mess you up. mild steel 1/4 inch bolts should not be torqued over 4 ft/lb or 48 in/lbs. High strength steel a little more. The threads in the action is the weak point in that calculation.

Jerry: The action and torque is on pillars, so I can only guess bedding isn't that good on the lesser grade overmold stock to begin with. Can't get 2 people to agree on the torque but the rifle seems fine and the bolt is very smooth. Thanks, Phil

I would think the rifle would tell you what torque it likes. Seems everyone has a different value just like everyone seems to have a different favorite ammo. Your rifle will tell you what it likes in torque and ammo.